Parallel Universes
by Lady GreyWolf
Summary: Trapped in a wormhole, the USS Enterprise encounters a school from the 21st Century. When student Kate Falcon is beamed onto the ship, it is clear that she is the center of it all. But when Q presents her with a choice, what path will she choose?
1. Prologue

The sudden light made them all look out the windows. Kate wrinkled her forehead, before returning to her book. Most of the others did the same, but the lightning returned, stronger than earlier. The teacher looked confused and a quiet mumble soared in the room, until there was a roar that broke all the windows. A wind stronger than any hurricane roared through the school, people were screaming as tables and chairs where lifted into the air by it. Kate pushed her friends in front of her. Even though she was known to be a silent girl who avoided fights, she wouldn't let her friends die.

"Kate, hurry!"

Tracy looked worried and Kate rushed after her down the stairs. Students and teachers rushed by them, everyone screamed in terror as the doors where barricaded by the chairs and tables and made it impossible to get out.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the wind stopped and the windows came back as through magic. But outside the town was gone. They where soaring in a yellow and red light; it was like the school had been separated from the rest of the building.

"What happened?" Rachel whispered, holding on to her two friends Jennie and Felicity.

"I have no idea", one of the teachers answered.


	2. Chapter 1

"I believe we're trapped, Sir", Data said.

"In what?" Captain Picard demanded to know.

"I'm not sure, Sir", Data answered. "It seems like some kind of cloud, almost like the one that Naglium caught us in…"

Picard sighed. Once again he had put his crew in danger by forcing them to investigate the cloud. Why couldn't he restrain his curiosity when it was needed?

"Sir, it appears that we're not alone in this cloud", Data suddenly said. "I can detect several life signs."

"Another starship?" Commander Riker asked.

"I doubt it, Sir", Data answered. "It looks more like a part of some building."

"On screen", Picard demanded and rose from his chair. Data had been right, it was a building. Human contracture, it looked like it was from Earth.

"Is it possible to hail them?" he asked and turned to Lieutenant Worf.

"It seems like they don't have any communication, Sir", Worf answered. "At least not visual."

"We'll try to send them a message", Picard said. "Open a channel."

He turned towards the screen once again.

"I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation Starship _USS Enterprise_", he said. "Do you read me?"

It felt like an eternity before a male voice answered him.

"My name is Thomas Howard, I'm the headmaster of this school", he said. His voice sounded quite weird, almost like his communicator was broken.

"A school?" Picard said, confused.

"Yes, a school", Thomas answered. "Could you tell us what's going on? Where are we?"

"If I had the answers I would give them to you", Picard answered.

"You said that you're the Captain of a starship", Thomas said. "Does that mean we're in space?"

"Yes."

"How the hell is that even possible?" Thomas wondered. "I mean, they've only been just in-between Earth and Moon right now."

Picard looked confused and when he looked at the rest of his crew, their faces showed the same reaction.

"Excuse me, Sir", Data said. "It would be easier to talk if we could meet people face to face."

"I agree", Picard said. "Mr Howard, it seems like we have some things to discuss. We can beam some of your teachers and students onboard the _Enterprise_ for a conversation."

Thomas was silent for a while, before he agreed.

"I'll gather a couple of our students and our three main teachers", he said. Then he was gone.

About twenty minutes later the nine students and three teachers where beamed onboard the ship. They all looked surprised and a bit scared, Riker noticed, as he was the one to greet them.

"Welcome onboard the _Enterprise_", he said. "I'm Commander Riker."

"Thomas Howard", one of the teachers said and shook his hand. He was partly bald-headed but his grip was strong.

"This is Francesca Williams, my right hand, and Eric Jones, who handles the economy on the school."

Riker shook both Francesca's and Eric's hands, before taking the lead out of the transporter-room. The students went silently behind, but their eyes looked at everything that they could spot. Obviously they hadn't got this technology.

"So you're saying that we're caught in some parallel universe, between our times?" Francesca said and looked sceptically at first Picard and then Data. Most of her students shook their heads in wonder, but seemed to agree with Francesca.

"Since you're from the beginning of the 21st Century and we live in the middle of the 24th, I can't see any other explanation", Picard answered.

"Well, except for that it's impossible", one of the first-year students answered and shook her head. Her black hair flew around her as she did.

"How do we know?"

The voice made them all silence. It was the girl who hadn't said anything during the whole meeting, the one with the light brown hair and dark blue eyes.

"How do we know that it's impossible?" she continued. "We've seen the technology that they're using, things that we could only imagine. How can we say that it's impossible that parallel universes exist and that we're in one?"

Thomas shook his head.

"Kate, we have to be sure before we can do something", he said solemnly. "I know that you want to believe in these kinds of things, but logically it's impossible."

"Why can't you all open your eyes to something that's less logical than in our school-books?" Kate exclaimed and rose. "I agree with the Captain, there is no other explanation."

"Queen of the Falcons has spoken", one of her classmates whispered, but high enough for the others to hear. Kate looked at her for a while, before walking out of the room. Some of the students giggled and imitated Kate, which made Picard very angry.

"I will not tolerate any kind of bullying on my ship!" he bellowed and rose. The students stopped giggling.

"We'll continue this meeting tomorrow", he continued before walking out of the room. He heard Riker ask the others if they wanted to stay on the ship for the night, but they all answered that they wanted to return to their school.

Annoyed he walked into another corridor, headed for the turbo-lift that would take him to the Bridge. How was it possible that the teachers didn't see the bullying? Picard shook his head and turned left, entering the corridor that led to the straight to the lift. He stopped when he saw the human figure, sitting next to the wall with her arms around her knees. Her dark blue eyes looked straight into the opposite wall. She wasn't crying or showing any expression.

"Kate", Picard said. She turned to face him.

"The others from your school are returning there for the night", he said.

"I'll stay here", Kate said solemnly. "If they don't dare to face the truth, they're weaker than I thought."

"It's a big change for us all", Picard said and sat down next to her. "Some don't want things to change, or at least they want the changes to come gradually."

Kate sighed and released her knees.

"I know", she said in a low voice. "They don't want me to change either."

She looked at him.

"I've always been the silent girl who studies really hard and helps my friends through the hard times. It's quite unusual that I just stand up for what I think. I believe that they don't want me to, now that they're used to the silent version of me."

Picard nodded. He understood her.

For a while they just sat there in silence. No one passed them to use the turbo-lift, if someone had he or she had probably been surprised to see the Captain on the floor. After a while, Picard sighed.

"Well, I guess I have to return to the Bridge", he said.

"Can I come along?" Kate asked. He smiled briefly at her.

"Sure."

He rose and offered her his hand to help her up. She smiled as she grabbed it. When she stood up, Picard saw that she was pretty tall. She was also quite muscular and had very long legs. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing", Picard answered and smiled again. "You're coming?"

She nodded and followed him into the elevator.


	3. Chapter 2

After having lunch with Picard and his closest friend, Doctor Beverly Crusher, Kate sank down in the chair next to the window in her room. Outside the yellow and red continued to pass her by. She had to admit that she was worried, about her family, about her friends, about the horses. Picard had looked really happy when she'd told him about the horses back in England. In the stable she was just Kate, not the best rider but one of those who understood the animals the best.

When the door chimed she rose in surprise.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me", she heard the Captain answer.

"Come inside."

When the door opened she couldn't help but stare at the Captain. He was dressed as if he was going to a stable!

"What is this about?" she asked.

"Well, I thought that you might want to join me on the holodeck for some riding", Picard said and smiled.

"A holodeck?"

"Oh, sorry, I forgot that holodecks don't exist in your time", Picard said. "It's like… like a computer-generated 3D-program, where you can interact with different characters or creatures."

"Okay…" Kate said, still not quite sure about it. "Well, I guess I can come along."

"You'll get clothes there", Picard said and escorted her out of her quarters.

As she stepped into the green meadow she gasped in awe. It was so beautiful! Metres away stood two horses, eating of the green grass.

"The white one's an Arabian mare", Picard said. "My horse."

He smiled proudly. Kate looked at the horse she had been able to create. A Mustang, light brown with legs that turned to black. Picard's mare stood bound to a pole, but her stallion was walking around freely.

"He's perfect", she whispered as she approached the stallion. His head shoot up and his ears where flattened against his neck.

"You're sure you can handle him?" Picard asked, worried. Kate didn't answer, she just sat down in the grass in front of the stallion, looking down. The Mustang snorted in surprise.

"I will not do anything to you that you don't want me to do", Kate said solemnly. The stallion snorted once again, before he lowered his head and blew some warm air in her face. Picard blinked as he saw Kate rising to her feet and without any problems getting onto the stallion's back. She laughed at his expression.

"You need to listen with more than just your ears to understand horses, Captain", she said and smiled. Picard shook his head in wonder, before he placed the saddle on his mare's back.

After a quiet gallop across the fields they slowed down to walking pace as they entered the green forest.

"You're quite extraordinary, Kate", Picard said and smiled at her. "You're not afraid to tell people what you believe in, you ride bareback on a wild stallion…"

"I sing, act and play music", Kate filled in with a smile. "Well, I believe that we all are extraordinary in our own way. That's the way we're born."

"So is it."

The strange voice made them turn around, but there was no one there. When they turned forward again, a third rider appeared in a white light. He smiled.

"Q!"

The way Picard said the single letter made Kate tense. Something about this man wasn't right.

"Is that how you welcome an old friend?" Q said, still smiling.

"I should have known", Picard muttered. "You got us all into this!"

"How can you say such a thing?"

Q pouted, but it was a faked sadness. Kate stroked her stallion while she kept an eye on the man in front of her.

"I can assure you that I had nothing to do with this", Q continued, his brown horse was eager to continue. "But it does remind me of the time when I turned you into Robin Hood and…"

"That's enough, Q!" Picard said and looked really angry. "Tell us what's going on and why you're here!"

"Two questions, Captain", Q said with a smile. "First, you're trapped in a time-bubble that attacked a school in the 21st century, your time. To get out of it… well, I do not know how it's done, actually. Second, I'm here because of that the Continuum wanted me to tell you the answer to your first question."

"We already knew that there was some sort of time-space-bubble", Kate said and stretched. "So this… Continuum had probably some other reason as well."

"Oh, you're pretty clever to be a human", Q said. "Maybe…"

"Just tell us what the other reason is!" Picard bellowed.

"Well, there is actually a second reason", Q said, unmoved. "The being that caught you in this bubble plans to attack you and then the rest of the Federation, as they believe that your ship is the strongest and without it the Federation will fall."

Then he was gone.

"An attack?" Kate said and looked at the Captain. He had already turned his mare around and galloped away the same way that they had come. Kate sighed and galloped after him. Her stallion was soon right next to the white Arabian. Picard looked resolute and didn't look at her.

"You're sure this Q is right?" she asked him.

"Quite sure", Picard muttered as they reached the place where they had started their ride. "Since we saved his life he has actually been trying to tell the truth and if the Continuum was the ones who sent him…"

He never finished the sentence; he just jumped of his horse and rushed towards the door. Kate sighed once again, before she left her Mustang on the holodeck and rushed after him.

Outside the Crew was rushing past them. There was panic and fear in their eyes.

"Captain, we're under an attack!" one of them said as he almost bumped into Picard.

"That went fast", Kate muttered. Picard grabbed her shoulders.

"Kate, it seems like it is the _Enterprise_ that will fall today", he said solemnly. "I don't want you to be in danger. Beam back to your school."

"But…"

"That's an order!"

Kate stood silent in front of him, before she shook her head.

"I won't", she said solemnly. "Q said that the time-bubble _attacked_ a school, the attack on my school isn't over. If I return I will be in more danger."

Before Picard could answer, there was a shimmer further down the corridor. A young man with brown hair appeared.

"Wesley?"

Picard sounded very surprised.

"Captain, the Traveller told me that you where in danger", the man said as he approached them. Picard only muttered as an answer.

"We're under some kind of attack", Kate answered in his stead. The man looked at her and smiled briefly.

"Some kind?"

"Well, if someone shoot at the ship we would probably feel it", Kate explained. Picard stared at her. She was right!

"The beings that caught you here use another form of attack, one that isn't sensible", Wesley explained. "I'm not sure how much I can help, but I will do as much as I can."

"Well, we better get to the Bridge", Picard said and led the way to the elevator.

As they stepped out on the Bridge, three beams where directed towards them.

"Jump!" Kate called out and leaped aside. She saw that Picard got out of the way as well, but Weasley stood still. The beam went directly through him. Kate quickly got to her feet and looked at the one shooting. The person in front of her made her gasp in surprise.


	4. Chapter 3

In front of her stood… she. It was impossible, but the person she was looking at looked just like herself.

"Surprising?" the girl said with a grim smile.

"You can mirror a person?" Kate wondered. The other one laughed.

"No, I am you!"

When Kate realised how serious the girl was she took a few steps back.

"No…"

"I believe that I've always said that there is good and bad in everyone", the other Kate said, raising her gun. "You've showed the good side for far too long."

A second beam flew towards her and she leaped aside once again.

"You're not me", she said as she rose. "I would never attack my friends."

"Why wouldn't you?" the copy wondered and smiled as Wesley came closer.

"Mirrors?" he whispered.

"Is that a creature?" Kate mumbled back. Wesley silently nodded.

"Why wouldn't you kill them?" the copy continued.

"Leave", Kate said and stepped forward once again. "This attack is over."

The copy looked surprised, before she disappeared into thin air.

"Where are the others?" Picard asked as he rose from the floor. Kate looked around. Except for them, the Bridge was empty.

"Why do I feel that Q was lying about that he had nothing to do with this?" Picard muttered.

"Well, I just had to see what you thought about it", Q said as he reappeared on the Bridge. Kate looked irritated as she put her hands on her hips.

"I'll send you to the real _Enterprise_ immediately", he said. It seemed like he was about to start laughing. A moment later they where on the Bridge on the real _Enterprise_. Their sudden arrival made several of the crew-members call out in surprise.

"Wesley?" Riker said in surprise, before looking at Picard and Kate. "What's going on?"

"Q played a little game with us", Picard muttered as he walked down to place himself in his chair.

"I'm not too sure that it was just a game", Kate said slowly. Now, afterwards, she realised that what had happened might be a clue.

"What if Q showed us what would happen?" she said solemnly. "What if…"

She hesitated, the others realised that she was scared.

"What if I'm the one who'll kill everyone?"

Riker wrinkled his forehead.

"What are you talking about?" he wondered.

"While Q played his little 'game', there was a person who looked just like me on this Bridge", Kate answered. "When I said that I would never attack any of my friends, she asked 'why wouldn't you'."

Picard saw how shaken Kate was by the experience, but also he realised what she was talking about. What if it was true?

"It will not happen", Weasley said calmly. "You're not that kind of person, I can sense it."

She smiled at him, but the fear was still in her eyes.

"Unless you have a weapon, you won't be able to kill us alone", Picard calmed her. "With Worf as our Security Chief, I would be surprised if you got one."

The crew shared a laugh, which made Kate smile a bit. Worf, the Klingon that had been presence at the meeting earlier, was certainly not someone who gave a weapon to just anyone.

"Any progress in getting us out of here, Data?" Picard asked and looked at the android. Kate didn't stay to hear the answer; she was already heading back to her quarters. She needed to think.

The calm music that she had ordered from the computer made it easier to organize her thoughts as she sat in her chair, looking out into the red and yellow. There where clues in this, clues that she had missed by accident. On a paper she had written down what she thought would happen; the attack and her hurting or killing her friends. She had to prevent both things from happening, but how? They where trapped by some race that no one recognized, a race that would destroy all of this. Angrily she threw the pen aside and ran her fingers through her thick, brown hair.

"Trouble?"

She immediately got to her feet. Wesley stood leaning towards the wall, smiling at her.

"How did you get in?" she asked, confused.

"I can move around as I wish", he answered as he approached her. "But now when I'm here, it's impossible to move outside the bubble."

"You mean here in this room or here on the _Enterprise_?" Kate asked with a smile. Wesley laughed as he sat down in front of her.

"I'm sure that Q actually tried to show us something", Kate said as she sat down again. Wesley looked at her paper.

"You still believe that you'll kill someone?" he asked and looked at her.

"I don't know anymore", she answered and sighed, as she leaned backwards. "It's all really confusing."

"My experience with Q tells me that's what he wants", Wesley said. "He likes to see us struggling with finding the right answers, answers that he thinks where clear from the beginning."

"Sounds really funny", Kate muttered. They shared a laugh and it felt like they'd known each other for far longer than about an hour.

"How is it to live in the 21st century?" Wesley suddenly asked. Kate wrinkled her forehead.

"Well, at least in some countries we've begun to think about the environment. Others just continue to poison the world. I have no idea if they've begun to build ships like this yet."

"I believe they had begun to build them", Wesley said. "But it was a great secret; most people had no idea about it."

"Must have been hard to hide this kind of ship", Kate said and shook her head.

"They probably had a ship that could hold about 100 instead of more than a 1000", Wesley said with a smile. Kate nodded and smiled back.

"Otherwise they would have to invent something that made it invisible as well."

They shared another laugh, before just sitting there, looking out the window and enjoying each other's company.

"Why are the school and this ship trapped together?" Kate suddenly said. Wesley raised an eyebrow in wonder.

"What's the connection between them?" Kate continued, looking at Wesley.

"You, perhaps?"

"No, it's too simple", Kate said. She stood up and picked up her pen from the floor, before sitting down, turning the paper over and began to write.

"There must be some kind of connection", she muttered. Wesley leaned forward to see what she wrote.

"What if some of those that are on my school are the ancestors of this crew?" she said and looked up at him. They where only inches away and Wesley pulled back, blushing.

"Well, it is… possible", he said as he managed to control himself.

"It is possible that people change names as they marry, but what if there is some clue…"

She twirled the pen between her fingers.

"My mum's name was Howard before she got married", Wesley said.

"Well, Howard is an ordinary name, but it's the only one we have", Kate said and wrote it down. "The headmaster's last name is Howard. There might be a connection."

"We also have Riker, LaForge, Picard…"

"No, none of them", Kate said and leaned back again. "Maybe I was just crazy about finding another connection than me."

"Well, we have one possibility", Wesley said. "We'll probably find some information that proves it."

"Hopefully", Kate said and nodded. "Then I won't have to…"

She hesitated and rose.

"Of course!"

Before Wesley could say anything, she rushed out of the door.

**Author's note: reviews are luv! Honestly, they are my inspiration and my strength, so if you like the story and want to read more, please post a review!**


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